


When Rory Met Norris

by lmPerrin



Category: Slip Knotting
Genre: Coffee Shops, F/F, First Meetings, Lesbian Character, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-03-23
Packaged: 2018-01-16 19:25:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1359070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lmPerrin/pseuds/lmPerrin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rory hates Mondays. And crowded coffee shops. Maybe she'll have to change her tune when Monday and coffee produce an encounter with someone Rory likes very much...</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Rory Met Norris

       Rory was attempting to decide which she hated more, Mondays or over crowded, early morning coffee shops when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

       “Do you mind? That’s mine.”

       Rory reached out automatically—anything to eliminate the lag time between drink production—and snatched the Grande cup from the barista. Rory turned, thrusting her arm out. A brusque “Here” died on her lips.

       The young woman who’d tapped her shoulder was smiling slightly, the corner of her lips quirked up just enough that it crinkled her eyes. She looked Rory’s age, maybe a year or two older. Definitely young enough to be a student, despite the fact that she was dressed well enough to be some sort of business professional. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a thick braid that just brushed the top of her collarbone. Two fine wisps of hair had escaped and we tucked nonchalantly behind her ears. She was tall—well, tall compared to Rory, which wasn’t saying much—and she held herself confidently, unconcerned with Rory's surprised gaze.

       Rory stared. Something warm was curling around her sternum. She started when the coffee was lifted smoothly from her grasp.

       “Thanks.”

       “Uh…yeah. Yes. Uh…”

       The woman gave Rory a nod and lifted the corner of her mouth a little higher as she turned to leave. Rory felt her stomach drop. If she had a type, then this woman had hit all the check marks. Impulsively she reached out, tugging the woman’s sleeve and pulling her up short.

       She turned back, the question apparent in her gaze, and Rory had to fight to string together a coherent thought. She latched onto the name the barista had repeated several times before the woman had tapped her shoulder.

       “Uh, you’re…you’re not Norris.”

       The woman frowned, confused. “Yes I am.”

       “Oh.” Rory swallowed and mentally kicked herself. There were better ways to go about asking about an unusual name. Smoother ways. Ways that did not sound quite so accusatory. She scrambled.

       “Well, I think I’m gonna have to see some I.D.”

       “Are you the coffee shop cop?” The woman was grinning now, revealing immaculately straight teeth. Rory thanked whoever was listening that she hadn’t come off as a jerk and shrugged. This was flirting. She could do flirting. She’d just never flirted before while a little voice screamed at her not to screw this up, that’s all, but it was fine. She was fine.

       “Ma’am, I’m just trying to make sure everyone leaves with what they ordered, that’s all.  
           

       “I understand, officer.” The woman reached to her side and produced an I.D. badge attached to a retractable wire, the base of which was clipped to her pants pocket. She handed the card to Rory.

       “Norris O’Neill.” Cute. Rory nodded in mock satisfaction. “Alright, miss. Everything seems to check out.” She handed the card back to Norris who let it snap back to its resting place. “I’ve never met a girl named Norris before. I like it.”

       “Do you have a name I can like back?”

       “It’s—“

       “Rory?”

       Rory pointed over her shoulder, turned, and retrieved her own coffee. She turned back to Norris.

       “Nice to meet you, Rory.”

       “Nice to meet you, Norris.”

       Rory followed Norris out of the coffee shop. She gestured to the I.D. badge. “Are you headed to work?”

       “For a bit, then class. You?”

       Rory grimaced. “Just class.”

       “Maybe I’ll see you around campus. Have a good day, Rory.”

       “Yeah, you too.”

        Norris turned to leave and Rory felt her insides twist. She hesitated for a split second. She was usually right, but if she was wrong—God, she hoped she wasn’t wrong, but even if she was and she didn’t ask—“Hey, Norris?”

        Norris turned and began slowly walking backwards down the sidewalk. “Yeah?”

       Rory mentally steeled herself for rejection. “Can I get your number?

       Norris blinked, confused, and Rory felt her stomach drop in a completely unpleasant way before Norris’s face broke into a wide grin.

       “Number! Yes, sorry, I thought…never mind.” She strode quickly back to Rory and produced a pen from her pocket. “Arm or cup?” she asked.

       Rory stuck out her hand. “Wait, not the right, I’ll rub it off.“

       “Doesn’t matter. I’m writing it on your arm.” Norris tucked her coffee into the crook of her elbow. Rory felt goose bumps raise along the backs of her arms as Norris gently and precisely began etching her number at the base of Rory’s wrist in the direction of her elbow. “This way,” Norris explained as she drew a line through the middle of a seven, “You’ll see it all day and you won’t wash it off.”

       “Smart.” Warm fuzzies were cascading through Rory’s veins. Any second and she was going to start giggling like a fool.

       “So I've been told.” Norris capped her pen and smiled in a way that told Rory she'd stumbled onto something of an inside joke. She very much wanted to know what it was.  

       Rory slowly lowered her arm back to her side. _Wait,_ she scolded herself. _Wait until class before you start memorizing. Don’t look desperate._

       “So. Hopefully I’ll definitely be seeing you around again?” Norris lifted an eyebrow and smiled shyly.

       “Definitely,” Rory promised.

       They repeated their good byes and turned in opposite directions, Rory towards campus and Norris towards downtown.

       In two steps Rory broke her promise to memorize Norris’s number in class.


End file.
